Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM
the nissaya by the Pali Vinaya. Now we propose to ascertain the implication and significance of the term, before we go into its interminable details.
The Sanskrit equivalent of the term 'nissaya' as Mr. Rhys Davids points out is 'niśraya' which corresponds in meaning to the Sanskrit term 'asraya'.1 As such his interpretation of the term in question as 'that on which anything depends' seems quite reasonable and correct as the life of the Buddhist monks depends on the four resources (nissava). Further it will not be out of place to point out that the term nissaya has been used in two different cases in the Pali Vinaya. At one place it stands for the resources, that is, for the necessities of life of a Buddhist mendicant, while at other for the relation between the So now teacher and the disciple which has already been discussed." we are concerned with the first use only. The resources number, viz.,
are four in
i.
ascetic life has morsels of food gathered from begging-tours as his life-long resource,
ii. ascetic life has robes taken from dust-heaps as his life-long
iii.
iv.
resource;
ascetic life has dwelling at the foot of a tree as his life-long resource, and
ascetic life has stinking-urine as medicine as his life-long resource."
Later on the strictness of the rules were relaxed by granting appropriate latitudes to them which were popularly known as atirekalabha (extra-allowance) which will be discussed in due course.
Now it may be remarked that the rules regarding the resources seem to be based on the principle that healthy body is the abode of healthy mind. Specially, the number of resources presupposes the aforesaid theory. As nobody can expect a healthy body in absence of proper sustenance and protection from the ever-changing weather, so of the four resources, the first is food, one of the most essential things to keep body and soul together, the other three being dress, dwelling and medicine; things which are indispensable for the safety of life in
1. Vide Rhys Davids, Pali English Dictionary.
2. Vide Supra, p. 94; Childers; SBE. Vol. XII, p. 182 fn; M, 1,26.82, p. 67. 3. pindiyalopabhojanam nissäya pabbajja, tattha te yavajīvam ussäho karaniyo, pamsukulacivaram nissaya...ussaho karaniyo, rukkhamulasenasanam nissaya...ussaho karaniyo pūtimuttabhesajjam nissāya...ussaho
MATAHIYA. --MV, 1.22.73, §. 65.